Surname Saturday - Bryan and Doyle

 

This is the fifth section of a booklet that I put together for my father-in-law’s 96^th birthday.  His parents were Clifford Franklin and Bertha Bryan Blackmore.  Section five is about Bertha Bryan’s parents.  Future postings will include the other parents and grandparents of Clifford and Bertha and will include Blincow and Doyle surnames.  I have also included information about the siblings of these direct ancestors.   

Oliver Bryan and Mary Emma Doyle Bryan

          Oliver BRYAN was the oldest child of Albert and Ann.  He was born on 2 October 1851 in Jefferson County, Iowa.  Oliver married Mary Emma DOYLE on 30 December 1880 in Achilles, Rawlins County, Kansas.   Mary was born on 16 December 1853, the daughter of John William DOYLE and Rebecca Elizabeth JOHNSON, in Wheeling, Ohio County, Virginia.  This area of Virginia is now part of West Virginia since this was before 1863 when West Virginia officially became a state.  Ohio County is in northern West Virginia and borders the states of Pennsylvania and Ohio.

            Oliver was born in Iowa in Jefferson County, which is in southeast Iowa.  He and his family moved to Poweshiek County, which is northwest of Jefferson before 1856 and he lived there until at least 1860.  Sometime before 1880, Oliver moved to Rawlins County, Kansas, even though his family still lived in Iowa. 

            Sometime in the 1870s John William Doyle (Mary Emma’s father) and his children moved from Illinois to Kansas. In 1858 in Iowa Rebecca, his wife, died during childbirth.  Oliver and Mary Emma’s family lived very near each other on farms in the 1880 census.

            Oliver and Mary Emma Doyle Bryan had 6 children:  two sons and four daughters (John Albert, Myrtle, Sylvia, Alma, Bertha Jane, and Oliver Herman).

            Oliver and Mary lived on farms in Kansas and Iowa until the early 1900s.  Except for Sylvia and her husband all of their children moved with them to Colorado where, for a short time about 1910, they lived on a farm.  Then they moved to Southern California. 

            In 1914 as indicated in the clippings Oliver leased land for a poultry farm in Winchester, California, although he gave up the lease in December 1914.  According to the 1920 census Oliver was now working in the oil fields.

            Mary Emma Doyle Bryan died on 7 December 1933 in Pomona, California.  Mary and Oliver were possibly living at 1136 W 4^th Street in Pomona at this time.   She was 80.  In 1940 Oliver was living with his daughter Alma and her husband Charles Billstrom and their children at 320 No Hamilton, Pomona.  Oliver died on 8 July 1944 in Pomona, Los Angeles County, California.

Brothers and Sisters of Bertha Jane Bryan

            John Albert Bryan was born on 6 Jul 1882 in Achilles, Rawlins County, Kansas.  He married Clara Lee Bussey, the daughter of Robert S Bussey and Eva Elizabeth Gordon, on 30 May 1918 in California.  Clara was born on 30 May 1893 in Alabama.  She moved to California with her parents sometime before 1910.

            In 1900, while he was living in Iowa near his parents, John was listed as a farm laborer in the census records.  John registered for the World War I draft in 1918 in California.  He stated that he was short, of medium build and had blue eyes and brown hair.  At the time he registered for the draft, he listed his next of kin as Clara Lee Bryan.  He stated that he was a truck driver for Union Oil Company in Brea, California. 

            The 1920 census showed that John was working in the oil fields.  This record showed that most of the men in this Placentia, California, neighborhood where John and Clara were living were also working in the oil fields in various jobs.  John’s occupation changed in the 1930s and 1940s. Addresses for John and Clara during the 1930s were all in Pomona.   In the census records for both 1930 and 1940, John was listed as owning or working on a poultry farm. 

            It appears that John Albert and Clara had no children. 

            Clara died on 18 September 1944 in San Bernardino County, California. After Clara’s death John married Anna Louise Barnes Rennick on 18 March 1945. Rennick was the name of Anna’s first husband.  Anna was born between 1900 and 1905 and records are in conflict as to whether she was born in Maine or New York.  She died in September 1992 in San Bernardino County, California.  John died in 15 May 1975 in Montclair, San Bernardino County, California. 

            Myrtle Bryan was born on 5 April 1884 in Achilles, Rawlins County, Kansas.  She died a few days later on 10 April 1884 in Achilles, Kansas.

            Sylvia August Bryan was born on 4 April 1884 in Achilles, Rawlins County, Kansas.  Sylvia married Thomas Malone on 28 September 1904 in Tully, Rawlins County, Kansas.  Thomas was the son of John Malone and Mary Ann Delaney and was born on 3 February 1871 in Illinois. 

            Even though her family moved to Colorado about 1910, Sylvia, Thomas, and their adopted daughter Anna stayed in Kansas.  While living in Kansas, Thomas was a farmer.  Then, by 1928, their family was in Pomona at 525 W Monterey Street and Thomas was working for the railroad.  His occupation was listed as watchman or crossing watchman in both the 1930 and 1940 census records.  Beginning about 1928 they lived at 525 West Monterey Street in Pomona, California. 

            Thomas Malone died on 27 April 1954 in Los Angeles County, California.  Sylvia died in Los Angeles County, California on 26 August 1973.

            Alma Viola Bryan was born on 31 May 1888 in Achilles, Rawlins County, Kansas.  Alma married Charles Oscar Billstrom on 15 June 1908 in Read, Delta County, Colorado.  Charles was born on 27 June 1884 in Holdredge, Nebraska, the son of John Peter Billstrom and Mary Christina Berggren. 

            In 1910 the census showed that Charles was working in a coal mine in Colorado.  Charles and Alma had eight children:  seven boys and one girl who was the youngest:  Don Alfred, Charles Oscar, Loren, Ted John, Oliver Pete, Robert Stanley, Herbert Leroy and Christina Marie Billstrom.  The first five boys were all born in Colorado, while the last two boys and Christina were born in California. Their son Loren died before 1920.  Sometime between 1916 and 1918, the family moved to California. 

            Charles filled out the WWI draft registration card while working in Montana as a blacksmith for Clifton Applegate & Toole Co, in Anaconda, Montana.  This card indicated that his wife was living in Fullerton, California.  Charles indicated that he was tall, of medium build and he had blue eyes and brown hair.

            In 1920, Charles and Alma, along with five of their children (Don, Charley, Teddy, Oliver and Robert) were living near Alma’s parents, Oliver and Mary Bryan in Placentia, California.  Charles was working in the oil fields, as were most of the men in the neighborhood.  Also working for an oil company in 1930 were their sons Don Alfred and Charles Oscar. It appears from information in the 1930 and 1940 census records that this family lived in Pomona in both 1930 and 1940.  However the 1940 census records showed that in 1935 they lived in Delta, Colorado.

            Charles died on 16 April 1959 in San Bernardino County, California. Alma died on 23 May 1974 in Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, California.

            Bertha Jane Bryan married Clifford Franklin Blackmore on 10 November 1914 in Winchester, California.  She was born in Montezuma, Poweshiek County, Iowa on 26 August 1890 to Oliver Bryan and Mary Emma Oliver.  More information about this couple is found in the first section of this series.

            Oliver Herman Bryan was Oliver and Mary Emma’s youngest son.  He was born on 7 November 1893 in Pleasant, Poweshiek County, Iowa.  He died on 23 June 1910 in Read, Delta County, Colorado.  In the 1910 census Oliver was living with his parents in Colorado and was listed as single. He must have died soon after this census was taken.